New Delhi:

Counting for the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election – the first since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 and the first since 2014 – began 8 am, with postal ballots first to be opened.

In early leads, the Congress-National Conference alliance has taken a commanding lead in what was to supposed to be a tight race. At 9.45 am the Congress-NC is ahead in 49 seats and the BJP in 24.

The People’s Democratic Party of ex Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti – whose party allied with the BJP after the 2014 election but fell apart by 2018 – is leading in three.

Independent candidates are in pole position in 14 seats.

Within the Congress-NC alliance, the former party is leading in 12 of the 39 seats it is contesting, while the latter, which has fielded candidates for 56 seats, is ahead in 35. The results are a big positive change for the NC, which won only 15 seats in the last Assembly election in J&K. 

The big negative change is for the PDP, which won 28 seats in the 2014 poll. The Congress and the BJP are on course to match, and possibly exceed, its past haul of 12 and 25 seats.

The race to control the former state’s 95 Assembly seats – of which five have been nominated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a controversial move – is predicted to be a close one.

Row Over 5 Nominated MLAs

Exit polls have given the Congress-NC alliance a slight edge. An aggregate of three indicates the Congress-NC will win 43 seats and the BJP 26, with the PDP winning between four and 12.

Exit polls, therefore, predict a hung Assembly; the J&K Assembly has 90 elected seats with the majority set at 46. Should exit polls – and they often get it wrong – hold true, the PDP could be the ‘kingmaker’ for the Congress-NC, but not for the BJP, which will also need support from non-aligned lawmakers.

It is with this in mind that NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and his son, Omar Abdullah, and the Congress, as well as the PDP, have criticised the Lieutenant Governor’s move to nominate five members.

READ | J&K LG’s Power To Nominate MLAs Sparks Row Before Poll Results

These five “will hold full legislative powers and privileges, like elected representatives”.

“This is an assault on democracy… and fundamental principles of the Constitution,” senior J&K Congress Ravinder Sharma said. The NC and PDP slammed the “subversion of the people’s mandate”.

The power to nominate was granted after the Delimitation Commission increased the number of seats in J&K. The five will include two women, two Kashmiri Pandits, and a displaced person from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir – to the Legislative Assembly, increasing the total number of seats to 95. 

‘Kingmaker’ PDP

Meanwhile, te PDP, at this time, has ruled out a re-run of its 2019 alliance with the BJP, insisting it will only consider a ‘secular alliance’. That has sparked talk of aligning with the Congress-NC combine.

READ | “Why Not?” Farooq Abdullah On Post-Poll Alliance, PDP Says…

Last night NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah said “why not” when asked about the PDP as an ally, although that party’s senior leader, Iltija Mufti, quickly called such speculation “unnecessary”.

Farooq Abdullah’s son, Omar Abdullah, also a former Chief Minister, was more circumspect in his response, posting on X, “They haven’t extended support… haven’t offered support… and we don’t know what the voters have decided yet. So I wish we could put a lid on all this premature speculation…”

They haven’t extended support, they haven’t offered support and we don’t know what the voters have decided yet, so I really wish we could put a lid on all this premature speculation for the next 24 hours. https://t.co/jc9KLPPVUU

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 7, 2024

Earlier Farooq Abdullah told news agency ANI, “I extend my heartfelt gratitude (to the PDP)… we will try to build this state together”, when asked about news that Ms Mufti had offered her support.

However, the senior Mr Abdullah also clarified, “I have not spoken with her.. only read it in the paper.”

Voting for this election took place over three phases – on September 18, September 25, and October 1.

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Srinagar:

The National Conference is open to a strategic post-poll alliance with the People’s Democratic Party to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power after the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, NC leader and ex Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said Monday afternoon.

“Why not…” Mr Abdullah asked reporters when asked about an alliance, “How does it matter? If we all work for the same thing… for improvement in the condition of the people of the state. We can be rivals in elections but I have no objections. I am sure Congress will not either.”

Mr Abdullah, 86, however, ruled out any chance of staking claim to the Chief Minister’s post should his alliance win the election. “I will not be the Chief Minister…let this be clear. I have done my job. My problem will be – how can we make a strong government…”

He also said he had no problem approaching elected independent lawmakers for support, but warned, “I will not go beg before them. If they feel they can strengthen the state, then welcome.”

The NC and the Congress are allied under the INDIA bloc umbrella.

The PDP was also invited to join the alliance but a seat-sharing deal could not be walked out, resulting in former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s party contesting independently.

However, with exit polls for tomorrow’s counting of votes suggesting a hung Assembly, the PDP could end up playing ‘kingmaker’ in J&K’s first state election in a decade.

Exit polls indicate the NC-Congress alliance will win the most seats but could fall short of the majority mark of 46 MLAs in the 90-member House. The PDP, which is projected to win between four and 12 seats, could hold the key – for either the NC-Congress or the BJP.

A NC-PDP tie-up was also mooted by Zuhaib Yusuf Mir, the latter’s candidate for the Lal Chowk seat in Srinagar. Mr Mir said the PDP is open to joining the NC and the Congress to ensure the BJP does not grab power in the former state.

“PDP will have an important role in forming any secular government… we have said we are ready to take any step to save the identity of Kashmir but, for this, it is important we form a government against BJP and not with them,” he said.

However, not everyone in the PDP camp seems to share that view. Party boss Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija, said any talk of an alliance before results are declared are “unnecessary”.

Senior PDP leadership will take a call on extending support to a “secular front” only once results are declared, she posted on X, “This is our official stand.”

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Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President Omar Abdullah. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Srinagar:

In a new twist to pre-assembly election politics in Jammu and Kashmir, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and former members of the banned Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) have come together in a strategic alliance and have decided to support each other’s candidates.

“The move was made by Engineer Rashid’s party and Jamaat agreed to it as in the end it’s a fight for a bigger cause and not for the chair,” a senior officer told NDTV.

According to him, both parties knew that if they contested alone, then they would be dividing their own votes. “But now by fighting together they would be consolidating votes, especially in the south and also in north Kashmir,” another officer said.

In the meeting held today, the AIP delegation was led by its chief and MP Engineer Rashid and spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JeI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Other prominent JeI members participated in the discussions.

At the core of the meeting was the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, with both sides emphasising the need to work together in the larger interest of the region’s population.

Following comprehensive deliberations, it was agreed that the AIP would support JeI-backed candidates in Kulgam and Pulwama. Similarly, JeI will throw its support behind AIP candidates across Kashmir.

In areas where both AIP and JEI have fielded candidates, the alliance has agreed to a “friendly contest”, particularly in constituencies like Langate, Devsar and Zainapora. In other constituencies, mutual support will be extended to ensure a unified approach to the elections.

“With Jamaat and AIP coming together, PDP (People’s Democratic Party) will suffer the most in south Kashmir, while in North Kashmir a significant dent would be seen in the National Conference vote bank,” a political analyst said.

He said the move aims in stopping division of votes. “Both parties have the same base cadre, so it is a good move by them,” the analyst added.

Both parties in their agreement have stressed on resolving the Kashmir issue and promoting a lasting and dignified peace in the region.

“They highlighted the rapidly evolving political landscape, both regionally and internationally, and stressed that neither JeI nor AIP can afford to remain passive observers,” a source said.

After reaching an agreement, the leaders in both parties asked their cadre to spread the message of support for each other’s candidates, in line with the agreement.

“The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JeI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have strong representatives who can articulate their sentiments and aspirations,” a JeI member said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Chenab Valley on Monday, where he is scheduled to address three rallies.

Jammu:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hit the poll campaign trail in support of his party candidates on Saturday by addressing a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, amid tight security arrangements.

This will be the first visit by a prime minister to Doda in the last 42 years.

Multi-tier security has been deployed across the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar, particularly around the venue, to ensure a peaceful and smooth conduct of the election rally, which will be held at the stadium in Doda town.

“Prime Minister Modi will hold his first election meeting in Doda tomorrow. This will be a significant event as it marks the first visit of any Prime Minister to Doda in 42 years. The last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982,” said Union Coal and Mines Minister and BJP election in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, G Kishan Reddy, on Friday in Samba.

PM Modi’s rally is all set to give boost to his cadres and candidates in the region where voting for eight Assembly seats in the three districts of the Chenab Valley — Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban — is scheduled for September 18.

During the 2014 Assembly elections, PM Modi addressed a BJP poll rally in Kishtwar district. Since then, the people of Doda have been eagerly waiting to see and hear the Prime Minister, a leader said.

BJP leaders believe that the prime minister’s visit will significantly boost the electoral prospects of party candidates in the union territory.

The party is contesting all 43 Assembly seats in the Jammu division. In the last J&K Assembly, BJP had 25 MLAs.  Voting in the J-K Assembly elections will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. This is the first Assembly election in J&K in 10 years, and the first since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

The Jammu region has long been a BJP stronghold, with the party winning all 25 of its seats from this region in the 2014 Assembly polls in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a poll rally in Jammu on last Saturday, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held another rally in Ramban district on Sunday. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Anantnag, Kashmir:

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address two election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 to campaign for the candidates of the NC-Congress alliance, a senior Congress leader said on Saturday.

AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir told PTI Videos here that it was the desire of the candidates of the alliance and the people of J&K in general to have Gandhi campaign in the Union territory.

“Rahulji will visit J&K on September 4 and will address election campaign rallies in Kashmir as well as Jammu for the alliance candidates,” he added.

Mir, who is contesting the assembly elections from Dooru in the south Kashmir district here, said Gandhi will address an election rally at the Dooru stadium.

He said Gandhi would address another rally likely in the Sangaldan area of Jammu.

“We are happy that he (Gandhi) accepted our invitation. This programme is for the first phase only. He might visit J&K again for the other phases,” Mir said.

The AICC general secretary said the Congress has lined up over 40-star campaigners, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday fired 10 questions at the Congress after the party said it had all but agreed an alliance with the National Conference for next month’s Jammu and Kashmir election.

In a post on X Mr Shah raged that the Congress – which “played with the unity and security of the country in its greed for power” in the past – had “once again put itself before the country”. He also questioned the Congress over promises made by the National Conference in its manifesto, including a promise to encourage dialogue between with Pakistan and restoration of the J&K flag.

Of course, the red flag, as far as the BJP was concerned, was the National Conference saying it would “strive to restore 370 – 35A (referring to Article 370 and Article 35A, which guaranteed special status to J&K and special rights to ‘permanent residents’ of J&K) and statehood as prior to August 2019”.

The 10 questions for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, who was in Srinagar Thursday and claimed “blood” ties with the people of J&K, included jabs over the party’s “support (for) the era of terrorism”.

Mr Shah’s 10 questions:

1. Does Congress support National Conference’s promise of a separate flag for J&K again?
2. Do Rahul Gandhi and Congress support the National Conference’s decision to push J&K back into an era of unrest and terrorism by bringing back Article 370 and Article 35A?
3. Does the Congress support promoting separatism by talking to Pak in exchange for Kashmir’s youth?
4. Do Congress and Rahul Gandhi support nurturing terrorism and its ecosystem across the border (as a result) of the NC’s decision to start trade (across the LoC) with Pakistan?
5. Does Congress support bringing back the era of terrorism and shutdowns by reinstating to government posts family members of those involved in terrorism and stone-pelting?
6. This alliance has brought forth anti-reservation face of Congress. Is the party with NC’s promise to do injustice to Dalits, Gujjars, Bakarwals, and Paharis by ending reservation?
7. Does Congress want Shankaracharya Parvat (a temple on a hill overlooking Srinagar and dedicated to Lord Shiva) – to be Takht-e-Suliman, and Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran?
8. Does the Congress support handing over the J&K economy to a handful of Pakistan-backed families by once again throwing it into the fire of corruption?
9. Does Congress support NC’s politics of discrimination between Jammu and the Valley?
10. Do Congress and Rahul Gandhi support NC’s divisive thinking of autonomy to Kashmir?

The Congress party, which has repeatedly risked the nation’s unity and security to satiate its greed for power, has once again exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family’s ‘National Conference’ in the Jammu and Kashmir elections.

Given the promises made in… pic.twitter.com/omxj3xOdP3

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 23, 2024

On Thursday, after a meeting between Mr Gandhi and NC boss Farooq Abdullah at the latter’s home in Srinagar, sources told NDTV the broad strokes of a deal – for all 90 seats – had been agreed.

“We had a good meeting, in a cordial atmosphere. The alliance is on track, it is final… it will go smoothly. It will be signed and is on all 90 seats,” Mr Abdullah, a former Chief Minister, said.

READ | Congress-National Conference J&K Tie-Up Done But Issues Over Seats

This is the first Congress-NC alliance in J&K since 1987. The two are, however, part of the INDIA bloc that was led by the Congress and put up a strong showing in the April-June Lok Sabha election. The NC won two of J&K’s five seats, while the BJP got the other two and an independent the fifth.

READ | Restoration Of J&K Statehood Is Focus Of National Conference’s Manifesto

As far as the opposition is concerned, sources said the successful meeting between Mr Abdullah and Mr Gandhi underlined their intention – that despite some differences, both parties want this alliance.

READ | J&K To Vote In 3 Phases, 1st State Poll Since Article 370 Was Scrapped

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election will be held in three phases – on September 18 and 25, and on October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4.

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New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed “blood” ties with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and declared restoration of statehood – J&K was bifurcated into two union territories in August 2019, after the centre scrapped Article 370 – a “priority” for both him and his party.

In a swipe at the Modi government, the Leader of the Opposition remarked, “We expected this (restoration of statehood, a demand of many opposition parties and activists) to be done prior to the election… but it is okay. Elections have been declared… it is a step forward.”

Mr Gandhi also urged the people of J&K – who vote September 18, 25, and October 1 for a first Assembly election since 2014 – to “open shops of love in the market of hatred”; the reference was to his ‘nafrat ke bazaar mein, mohabbat ki dukaan khol‘ war cry from the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“I love the people of J&K… I have a very old relationship, a blood relationship with them,” he said at a party event in Srinagar that was also attended by Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge.

“And it is our priority, and of the INDIA bloc, to restore statehood as soon as possible. We expected this would be done prior to the election but it is okay… elections have been declared and we hope statehood will also be restored, and the democratic rights of J&K people will (also) be restored,” Mr Gandhi told reporters after meeting with Congress leaders in Srinagar.

“In India, after independence, many UTs were made into states… but there is only instance in which a state was downgraded… this is the first time. It never happened before,” he thundered.

जम्मू-कश्मीर के साथ मेरा खून का रिश्ता है – वहां के लोगों के दिलों में जो दुख-दर्द है, उसे मिटा कर उन्हें उनका statehood और representation वापस दिलाना ही मेरा सबसे बड़ा लक्ष्य है। pic.twitter.com/iBFDwwJxn0

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 22, 2024

“For us (the Congress) representing the people of J&K is important. I will tell you why… I protect democracy all over the country but, for me, the aim is to remove the pain in the hearts of the people of J&K,” he continued, stressing, “This is not a political statement I am making.”

This is not the first time Mr Gandhi has claimed blood ties with J&K; in October 2012, at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a road tunnel connecting Kargil to the Kashmir Valley, he said, “I am a Kashmiri. I want to have a lifelong relationship with the people of J&K.

READ | J&K To Vote In 3 Phases, 1st State Poll Since Article 370 Was Scrapped

Congress boss Mr Kharge, who is the LoP in the Rajya Sabha, also appealed to voters.

“… as Rahul Gandhi said, his relationship with J&K is not limited to likes or dislikes. He is related to J&K by blood… and we hope J&K will stand by us in this coming election,” he said, adding, “We need your votes to save the country… to save your culture and rights.”

The J&K Assembly election will be held in three phases – September 18, September 25, and October 1. Counting of votes will take place on October 4. The Supreme Court last year had ordered the Election Commission to hold the election by September 30, 2024.

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Srinagar:

The National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Congress, and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party have called for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under President’s Rule and has not had a state poll for six years now.

This comes amid reports the Election Commission of India – a poll panel team began its two-day visit Monday to review prep work before announcing dates – is considering such a move.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and that of Ladakh, will hold a general election for its six Lok Sabha seats in April/May and is expected to hold Assembly polls – the first step in restoration of statehood – by September 30, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

READ | In Historic J&K Ruling, Supreme Court Sets Election Deadline

Senior NC leader Nasir Sogami and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad – part of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ commission set up by the government to explore that possibility – have spoken out, with the latter claiming “people are more concerned about Assembly polls”.

“I am in favour of simultaneous elections in J&K .I want elections by midnight. The people of J&K are more concerned about assembly elections than parliament elections,” Mr Azad said.

Mr Azad is likely to contest the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat, which is currently held by Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference. The seat has traditionally flipped between the Peoples Democratic Party of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the NC.

“I’m not ruling out contesting from Anantnag-Rajouri parliament constituency. Lots of people are asking me to contest. Demand of my being in Parliament is more,” he told NDTV.

Mr Sogami – who spoke to NDTV after the NC met a team from the Election Commission of India – said the NC had also demanded simultaneous elections in the union territory.

“This (simultaneous polls) is also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘One Nation, One Election’,” he said, adding the NC had also said state polls are long overdue.

The National Conference also demanded a level playing field for both polls.

On Monday the poll panel team, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, met representatives from political parties. The ECI has already met Union Home Ministry officials.

The centre has already sanctioned the deployment of 600 paramilitary companies to ensure the safe conduct of elections in J&K; this is in addition to sizeable existing security set-ups.

A BJP delegation also met the poll panel team, and said the party is ready for Assembly polls. However, the party left announcement of dates to the discretion of the Election Commission.

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